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Top 10 (or so) Draft Prospects By Position

With several celebrity draftniks updating their rankings recently, I thought some readers might be interested in taking a peek at what my composite rankings currently look like. For this particular exercise, I’ll be including only positions that would fill needs I’ve identified for the Broncos.

To lighten things up, I’ll be sticking with the theme established in today’s Orange Overview with Bob’s Beastie Boys joke. So let’s get it together.

*QB is a depth need that is almost certain to be addressed via free agency, so QB prospects will not be featured here.

Primary Needs:

Offensive Tackles

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

ProjectedRound

1

Ryan Ramczyk*

606

314

Wisconsin

1

2

Garrett Bolles*

605

300

Utah

1

3

Cam Robinson

606

310

Alabama

1-2

4

Jermaine Eluemunor

604

325

Texas A&M

2-3

5

Taylor Moton

605

328

Western Michigan

2-3

6

Antonio Garcia

606

302

Troy

2-3

7

Roderick Johnson

607

311

Florida State

2-3

8

Zach Banner*

609

360

USC

3-5

9

David Sharpe

606

357

Florida

3-5

10

Will Holden

607

313

Vanderbilt

4-6

11

Adam Bisnowaty

606

305

Pittsburgh

4-6

*Players who’ve met with the team

The need here is huge, and while there is reasonable concern that none of these guys are a sure shot worthy of the 20th pick, I think both Ramczyk and Bolles are solid first round selections. Moving back to take one would help to maximize value, but it would not be without risk. This is a premium position, and the Broncos aren’t the only team looking to fill a need here. Ramczyk could slide due to medical concerns.

Robinson would be considered a good value in round 2, but it’s unlikely he’ll drop to #51, and he likely projects as a RT or G. The other Day 2 options are Eluemunor, Moton, Garcia and probably Johnson. Eluemunor is a wild card, with only a few years experience playing football. Like Robinson, Moton projects strictly as a RT or G. Garcia is probably the best bet outside of round 1 to develop into a starting LT in the NFL, but it won’t happen overnight. Johnson is more of a long shot. He’s got some physical ability, but he’s sloppy.

Wide Receivers

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected
Round

1

Corey Davis

603

205

Western Michigan

Top 20

2

Mike Williams

603

220

Clemson

Top 20

3

John Ross III*

511

190

Washington

1

4

Zay Jones

602

202

East Carolina

2-3

5

Curtis Samuel

511

200

Ohio State

2-3

6

Cooper Kupp

601

195

Eastern Washington

2-3

7

Chris Godwin

601

201

Penn State

3-5

8

JuJu Smith-Schuster

602

215

USC

3-5

9

ArDarius Stewart

601

204

Alabama

4-6

10

Amara Darboh

602

215

Michigan

4-6

11

Carlos Henderson

511

191

Louisiana Tech

4-6

12

Taywan Taylor

511

198

Western Kentucky

4-6

I’ve included all WRs here, but in reality I think the Broncos are most likely to target a prospect suited to play in the slot. The names in bold best fit that mold. This is a much deeper group than T, as some of these guys can really put that left leg down and right leg up.

We all know John Ross by now and his fastest ever 40-time. That kind of speed coupled with his KR experience make him a very nice fit for Denver. Curtis Samuel is a very exciting option in round 2 as a guy who can be used in a number of ways offensively. For all the talk of the Broncos adding an offensive weapon in the draft, I’m surprised his name doesn’t come up more often. Chris Godwin has gained a lot of momentum during the offseason evaluation process, and he’d be a nice add in round 3. There are options available throughout the draft, so if the Broncos miss out on Ross on Day 1 and Samuel on Day 2 there are still plenty of options. Many of these guys project as KR/PR, too, so there’s a chance to knock out two major needs with one player here.

Upgrade Needs:

Tight Ends

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

O.J. Howard

606

251

Alabama

1

2

David Njoku*

604

245

Miami

1

3

Evan Engram*

603

227

Mississippi

1-2

4

Adam Shaheen

605

277

Ashland

2-3

5

Gerald Everett*

604

240

South Alabama

2-3

6

Bucky Hodges*

607

245

Virginia Tech

2-3

7

Jake Butt

606

250

Michigan

3-5

8

Jordan Leggett*

605

260

Clemson

3-5

9

Jeremy Sprinkle

606

256

Arkansas

4-6

10

Jonnu Smith

603

245

Florida International

4-6

11

Eric Saubert

605

253

Drake

5-7

12

Michael Roberts

604

270

Toledo

5-7

13

George Kittle

604

247

Iowa

5-7

14

Cole Hikutini

605

248

Louisville

5-7

It doesn’t get much more exciting than this group. There are prospects here who will be drafted late on Day 2 and even into Day 3 who have the ability to come in and make an immediate impact. It’s unheard of for three TEs to be in the first round conversation, but that’s the case this year. By the end of Day 2 we should see about eight of these names called. If I’m the Broncos, I’m thinking “if this is gonna be that kind of party…”

If OJ Howard falls to 20, I think he’s a no-brainer. If he doesn’t, which is probably the case, Njoku has to be in consideration, as is Engram, especially following a move back. These guys are all going to catch balls immediately at the next level. Howard is the best blocker of the bunch, but Njoku is willing to bang heads, too. Engram is more of an move TE who probably won’t move the pile in the run game.

Outside of the top 3, I still see tremendous talent on the board. Shaheen is freak at that size; Everett is a playmaker; and Hodges might be the best athlete of the second tier. He’ll need some refinement, but he offers some delightful mismatch possibilities. Jake Butt was injured in his bowl game, which has slid him down the board, but he could be a very low risk/high reward selection. There’s all kind of talent in this TE buffet, so whatcha want?

Linebackers

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

ProjectedRound

1

Reuben Foster

6002

246

Alabama

Top 15

2

Haason Reddick

601

230

Temple

1-2

3

Zach Cunningham

604

230

Vanderbilt

2-3

4

Jarrad Davis

6013

236

Florida

2-3

5

Raekwon McMillan

602

240

Ohio State

2-3

6

Duke Riley

600

227

LSU

3-5

7

Alex Anzalone

602

241

Florida

3-5

8

Kendell Beckwith

6024

255

LSU

3-5

9

Anthony Walker, Jr.

601

235

Northwestern

3-5

Reuben Foster is a baller, and while rumors of a slide persist due to his being sent home from the Scouting Combine, I don’t buy it. He’s just too good. Like OJ Howard, in the unlikely event Reuben Foster falls to 20, he’ll probably be a Bronco.

After Foster, though, are three legitimate targets for Denver in Reddick, Cunningham and Davis. All three can run and hit, and I think they all represent an upgrade over Todd Davis in pass coverage. Reddick is likely in the first round discussion, with the other two representing better value in round 2. If the Broncos don’t come out of the draft with a LB, though, they’ll likely be just fine. That means if a great value falls to them, they’ll make some noise, but if it doesn’t work out that way they’ll just stand pat.

Defensive Line

Base Ends

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

Jonathan Allen

6025

295

Alabama

Top 5

2

Malik McDowell

604

276

Michigan State

1-2

3

Caleb Brantley*

6021

300

Florida

1-2

4

Taco Charlton

605

272

Michigan

1

5

Chris Wormley

6034

296

Michigan

2-3

6

Carlos Watkins

6035

313

Clemson

2-3

7

Larry Ogunjobi

603

304

Charlotte

2-3

8

DeMarcus Walker

603

273

Florida State

3-5

9

Davon Godchaux

604

293

LSU

3-5

10

Tanoh Kpassagnon

606

285

Villanova

4-6

Nose Tackles

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

Caleb Brantley*

6021

300

Florida

1-2

2

Chris Wormley

6034

296

Michigan

2-3

3

Dalvin Tomlinson

602

305

Alabama

2-3

4

Carlos Watkins

6035

313

Clemson

2-3

5

Elijah Qualls

601

321

Washington

3-5

6

Larry Ogunjobi

602

304

Charlotte

3-5

7

Montravious Adams

603

309

Auburn

3-5

8

Vincent Taylor

602

310

Oklahoma State

3-5

9

Jaleel Johnson

6027

311

Iowa

3-5

10

Eddie Vanderdoes

603

320

UCLA

4-6

You’ll notice there are several names on both lists, which indicates that these guys can likely play anywhere on the interior for the Broncos. After adding Domata Peko and Zach Kerr during free agency, the Broncos have flexibility here, in that they could target either a DE, a NT or someone to play both in the draft.

Brantley is probably better-suited as a 3-, 4- or 5-tech than a true nose, but I think when it comes to NT he can hold it down. He’d be a nice target following a move back in the first round, or up in the second if he lasts to day 2. McDowell is rumored to have interviewed very poorly, and there are questions about his character, but man, he’s got it all from a physical standpoint. I’ve got Taco Charlton on this list because I think he could play 3-4 end in the base D, but his ability to rush the passer from the edge likely dictates that he’ll be selected to do just that by another team in the first round.

There are several interesting day 2 options on the board, including Wormley, Watkins, Tomlinson and Ogunjobi. There’s potential dyn-o-mite in this group.

Depth Needs:

Cornerbacks

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

Marshon Lattimore

600

192

Ohio State

Top 10

2

Tre’Davious White

5112

195

LSU

1

3

Marlon Humphrey

601

196

Alabama

1

4

Jourdan Lewis

511

186

Michigan

1-2

5

Quincy Wilson

601

213

Florida

1-2

6

Teez Tabor

600

201

Florida

1-2

7

Gareon Conley

601

195

Ohio State

1-2

8

Fabian Moreau

600

206

UCLA

2-3

9

Adoree’ Jackson

511

185

USC

2-3

10

Kevin King

603

200

Washington

2-3

11

Chidobe Awuzie

511

205

Colorado

2-3

12

Cordrea Tankersley

600

200

Clemson

2-3

13

Sidney Jones

600

180

Washington

3-5

14

Cameron Sutton

511

186

Tennessee

3-5

15

Rasul Douglas

602

209

West Virginia

3-5

16

Ahkello Witherspoon*

603

190

Colorado

4-6

This group is silly deep and equally hard to rank. Honestly, you could draw names out of a hat from 2-13 after Lattimore, and it wouldn’t shock anyone if one of these other guys goes first. There’s too many to highlight in this piece, but I’ll tell you this: These guys will be on WRs’ tails like a sheriff’s posse.

Running Backs

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

Leonard Fournette

601

230

LSU

Top 15

2

Dalvin Cook

511

206

Florida State

1

3

Christian McCaffrey*

600

202

Stanford

1

4

Alvin Kamara*

510

215

Tennessee

2-3

5

Joe Mixon

601

226

Oklahoma

2-3

6

Samaje Perine

510

234

Oklahoma

3-5

7

Marlon Mack*

600

210

South Florida

3-5

8

Kareem Hunt*

510

208

Toledo

3-5

9

Wayne Gallman

601

215

Clemson

4-6

10

D’Onta Foreman

601

249

Texas

4-6

11

Jeremy McNichols

509

207

Boise State

5-7

12

Corey Clement

511

219

Wisconsin

5-7

13

Brian Hill*

600

209

Wyoming

5-7

14

Matthew Dayes

509

203

NC State

5-7

The love for Christian McCaffrey is strong here at Thin Air, so there isn’t much I can tell you about him you don’t already know. His versatility is key as it makes him a potential first round for Denver. Not only would he likely be the best RB on the team, he also can line up in the slot and return kicks and punts, effectively checking three boxes for the Broncos.

After McCaffrey there are several other talented options. Some might say these guys are electric, like Dick Hyman. Both Kamara and Mixon look like great prospects, but Mixon of course carries substantial baggage.

Edge Rushers

Rank

Name

Height

Weight

School

Projected Round

1

Myles Garrett

6051

261

Texas A&M

Top 5

2

Solomon Thomas

603

273

Stanford

Top 10

3

Takkarist Mckinley

602

245

UCLA

1

4

Derek Barnett

603

265

Tennessee

1

5

Taco Charlton

6054

277

Michigan

1

6

Charles Harris

6027

255

Missouri

2-3

7

Tim Williams

604

252

Alabama

2-3

8

T.J. Watt

605

243

Wisconsin

2-3

9

Carl Lawson

6022

258

Auburn

3-5

10

Jordan Willis

604

255

Kansas State

3-5

11

Tyus Bowser

603

247

Houston

3-5

12

Ryan Anderson

6024

258

Alabama

4-6

13

Demarcus Walker

602

273

Florida State

4-6

14

Tarell Basham

604

259

Ohio

4-6

15

Derek Rivers

604

250

Youngstown State

4-6

Another crazy deep group here, which means there’s no “rush” (see what I did there?) to snag one of these guys. With D Ware moving on, though, the Broncos would be wise to target someone in this group on Day 3. Most of the top guys will be gone, so I dove a little deeper in the well for this table. With Miller, Ray and Barrett already in tow the need here might not be obvious, but you can never have too many pass rushers – it’s the new style.

So there you go, Bronco fans. These lists are fluid, but it’s pretty likely several of the Broncos picks in this year’s draft are listed above. Who’d I miss?